Health facilities have already paid covid rewards to health workers. As late as the end of July, the union registered hundreds of clinics, polyclinics, and hospitals that refused to include the rewards in their employees’ salaries.
According to the union, the facilities argued, for example, that the money was for renovating surgeries or that they had not received money for them from insurance companies. The unions, therefore, obtained a letter from Health Minister Adam Vojtěch (ANO) confirming the health workers’ claims and threatening legal action if their members did not receive them in their August paychecks.
“The situation has improved quite a bit. In the past few days, I have received dozens of receipts for the payment of remuneration. Unfortunately, we have also received new questions from nurses who have not received the funds about possible further action, ” Dagmar Žitníková, chairwoman of the Health and Social Care Trade Union, said.
However, she said that the new situation is mainly about specific cases where the non-payment of bonuses is being addressed, especially by former employees of health care workers who no longer work for their original employers.
“We have only one case outstanding for our members where a nurse has not been paid her remuneration, and that, unless there is an agreement with the pediatrician, will be dealt with in court,” she said.
Outside of its membership, the union has two pending cases that apparently can not be resolved amicably. “I will hand these over to the Ministry of Health. One is an ambulance driver, the other is a nurse at an outpatient specialist, “Žitníková added.
The payment of bonuses concerns health workers who have come into contact with covid patients. They were to receive 75,000 crowns, while paramedics were to receive 120,000 crowns.